What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st November 2018.

In October the world bid a fond farewell to a number of stars of the silver screen and the small screen. In brief, shown below, is my passing tribute to those stars who leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and in particular the world of film and television. May you all Rest In Peace, and thanks for the memories . . . . Scott Wilson, Arnold Kopelson, James Karen, Audrey Wells and Danny Leiner.

* James Karen - Born 28th November 1923, died 23rd October 2018, aged 94. Born Jacob Karnofsky, he was an American Actor of stage, television and films who amassed 204 acting credits to his name and remained active in the industry across seven decades right up to the time of his death where he was filming and lending his voice talents to a new animated television series titled 'Sticky Fingers'. His other more noteworthy film roles over the years included the likes of the Arnold Schwarzenegger debut of 1970 'Hercules in New York', and then 'All the President's Men', 'Capricorn One', 'The China Syndrome', 'The Jazz Singer', 'Poltergeist', 'Jagged Edge', 'Wall Street', 'Return of the Living Dead : Part II', 'Invaders from Mars', 'Piranha', 'Nixon', 'Up Close & Personal', 'Behind Enemy Lines', 'Apt Pupil', 'Any Given Sunday', 'Thirteen Days', 'Mulholland Drive' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. In between time there were also countless guest appearances on television shows including 'Starsky & Hutch', 'The Waltons', 'The Streets of San Francisco', 'The Rockford Files', 'Dallas', 'Dynasty', 'Cheers', 'Beverly Hills, 90210', 'The Practice' and 'First Monday' to name but a  few. In 1998 Karen was awarded a Life Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA.

* Danny Leiner - Born 13th May 1961, died 18th October 2018, aged 57. An American Director, Producer and Writer, who had thirty-one Directing credits to his name, six as Producer and two as Writer. He feature film debut came in 1996 with the comedy 'Layin' Low', which he followed up with 'Dude, Where's My Car' in 2000, 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle' in 2004, 'The Great New Wonderful' in 2005 amongst others. In between time he Directed television episodes of the likes of 'Freaks and Geeks', 'Party of Five', 'Gilmore Girls', 'Arrested Development', 'The Sopranos', 'The Office', 'Backwash' and most recently 'Selfie'.

 * Arnold Kopelson - Born 14th February 1935, died 8th October 2018, aged 83. An American Film and Television Producer, Kopelson during his career Produced thirty-one movies that have collectively accounted for seventeen Academy Award nominations and over US$3B in worldwide cinema ticket sales. He was bestowed with an Academy Award for Best Picture, a Golden Globe Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, all for his production of 'Platoon' in 1986, and also received a Best Picture Academy Award nomination for his production of 'The Fugitive' in 1993. His other notable film Producer credits include 'Porky's', 'Out for Justice', 'Falling Down', 'Outbreak', 'Se7en', 'Eraser', 'Murder at 1600', 'The Devil's Advocate', 'U.S. Marshalls', 'A Perfect Murder', 'Don't Say a Word' and 'Twisted'. He also lectured over the years on filmmaking at Harvard Business School, American Film Institute, New York Law School, the Writers Guild of America, University of Southern California, and University of California at Los Angeles, among others, and also authored several articles about film financing.

* Scott Wilson - Born William Delano Wilson on 29th March 1942, and died 6th October 2018, aged 76. With a career as a film and television Actor spanning six decades he amassed eighty-one Acting credits over those years and was the recipient of three award wins and another six nominations including a Golden Globe nod as Best Supporting Actor in the 1980 film 'The Ninth Configuration'. He scored his big screen role in 1967's 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'In Cold Blood' later that same year. Other notable film appearances over the years included 'The Gypsy Moths', 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Right Stuff', 'The Aviator', 'Johnny Handsome', 'The Exorcist III', 'Young Guns II', 'Judge Dredd', 'Dead Man Walking', 'G.I.Jane', 'The Way of the Gun', 'Pearl Harbour', 'Monster', 'The Last Samurai', 'The Heartbreak Kid', 'Radio Free Albemuth' and most recently 'Hostiles'. In between time there were numerous television appearances, perhaps the most noteworthy being as Hershel Green in thirty-two episodes of 'The Walking Dead'.

* Audrey Wells - Born 29th April 1960, died 4th October 2018, aged 58. An American Screenwriter, Director and Producer who wrote a number of successful Screenplays and Directed two films for which she had also created the script. Her works were mostly of the comedies and/or romantic film genre. Her credits take in two as Producer ('The Truth About Cats & Dogs' from 1996 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun' from 2003), two as Director ('Guinevere' from 1999 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun') and ten as Writer (including the three already mentioned, plus 'George of the Jungle', 'The Kid', 'Shall We Dance', 'The Game Plan', 'A Dog's Purpose' and most recently 'The Hate U Give'.

This week, we give you six new excuses to get out amongst the movie going public to your local multiplex or independent theatre, kicking off with a biographical offering about an iconic British rock band of the '70's and '80's and its flamboyant front man that helped define a generation, and whose influence is still being felt today. We then turn to an action thriller that sees the crew of one of Uncle Sam's submarines pitch up against the Ruskies to prevent WWIII from occurring; before a change of pace that takes us to small town Montana in the '60's and the impact that marital challenges has on the young teenage son of the couple facing those struggles. Next we have another documentary from this famed and often controversial Director, Writer and Producer this time examining the impact on the American people of the Trump administration; and then there is a South Korean offering of a historical zombie actioner nature; before wrapping up the week with a little known animated story of how three of our beloved fairytale Princesses come to be hooked up with same Prince Charming.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' (Rated M) - in a different turn here for film and television Director, Producer and Writer Bryan Singer, here he Directs this biographical offering about the British rock band 'Queen', and in particular its front man, showman, and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer's previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Usual Suspects', 'Apt Pupil', 'X-Men', 'X2', 'Superman Returns', 'Valkyrie', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' and more recently 'X-Men : Apocalypse'. The film was first announced back in 2010 by Brian May in a BBC interview. Since then various Directors and lead Actors have come and gone including Dexter Fletcher to Direct and Sasha Baron-Cohen and Ben Whishaw to portray Freddie Mercury. Dexter Fletcher went on to conclude filming as Director after Bryan Singer was fired for being persona non grata and for clashes with the cast and crew, although Singer gets the full credit as Director and Fletcher as Executive Producer. The film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd October, went on general release in the UK the next day, and is release here in Australia and the US this week. The film cost US$52M to Produce and has so far grossed US$13M.

The film charts the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unrivalled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie (Rami Malek), surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of a solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie successfully reunites with his bandmates Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and John Deacon (Jospeh Mazzello) just in time for Live Aid in July 1985. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. The film also stars Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers and various others portraying well knows singers and musicians of the era. If, like me, you grew up in the era of Queen and sat glued to your TV for every minute of Live Aid back in '85, then this is surely a must see film.

'HUNTER KILLER' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller is Directed by Donovan Marsh who has also been known to Write, Edit and Produce some of his previous big and small screen works. Here he has based this film on the 2012 novel 'Firing Point' by George Wallace and Don Keith, and from the looks of his back catalogue this is his first big screen Hollywood outing with big named stars at his disposal. Set largely in the murky depths deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he discovers a secret Russian coup is being planned which potentially threatens to destabilise the order of things globally. With crew and country on the line, Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to sneak though enemy waters and rescue the kidnapped Russian President, who has been captured by his own Defence Minister, to stop WWIII from happening. Also starring Gary Oldman, Toby Stephens, Common, David Gyasi and Michael Nyqvist in one of his last film roles having passed away in June last year. The film was released last week in the US, cost US$40M to bring to the big screen, has is far grossed US$12M and has received generally mixed Reviews.

'WILDLIFE' (Rated M) - this highly acclaimed American drama film is Directed and Co-Written by Paul Dano in his Directorial debut, and is based on the 1990 novel of the same name written by Richard Ford. Here, fourteen year old Joe (Ed Oxenbould) is the only child of Jeanette, a housewife and mother, and Jerry Brinson, a golfing professional and father (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal respectively) living in small town Montana in the '60's. An uncontrolled forest fire rages out of control close to the Canadian border, and when Jerry loses his job, and his sense of being, he elects to join the fire fighting crew, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Suddenly forced very quickly to grow up and accept some responsibility, Joe witnesses his mother's struggle as she tries to keep her head above water, and she falls for another man in her husbands absence, the fallout of which sends the already struggling family unit to breaking point. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, went on general release in the US in mid-October and has been universally acclaimed - in particular for Paul Dano's fine Directing efforts and also for Carey Mulligan's and Jake Gyllenhaal's strong performances.

'FAHRENHEIT 11/9' (Rated M) - here noted Documentarian Michael Moore is back at it again with all verve, vigour and vim that make his films so compelling. Here once more he Directs, Co-Produces, Writes and Narrates his way through his chosen journey this time, having predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States. Travelling across the country, Moore interviews the American public to get a feel for the social, economic and political impact of Trump's Presidency so far. Moore also takes a deep dive into the media, the Electoral College, the government agenda and his hometown of Flint, Michigan. This documentary explores two principle questions - how the US progressed to the Trump Presidency? and how to 'get out' of the era of the Trump administration? The title of the film is derived from the date when Trump's 2016 Presidential win was announced - the 9th November. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in August this year, went on general release in the US in late September, has so far recovered US$5M from its US$6M production budget, and has received generally favourable Reviews.

'RAMPANT' (Rated MA15+) - out on limited release at selected cinemas is this South Korean historical action zombie offering from Director Kim Sung-hoon. The film tells the story of our hero, Yi Chung (Hyun Bin) who is rather partial to a bit of boozing, gambling and womanising and who in his spare time battles against 'Night Demons' to save the Joseon peoples and their nation. Yi Chung is the son of the King, and is renowned as the greatest martial artist in the world and is particular adept with a sword. Although he was handed over to the Qing Empire as a political prisoner, he returns home after ten years when his brother, the Crown Prince Yi Young (Kim Tae-woo), calls upon him after all these years to help thwart the evil bloodthirsty Night Demons that plague the country by night once and for all. Also starring Hyun Bin, Jang Dong-gun and Lee Sun-bin in other pivotal roles.

'CHARMING' (Rated G) - this animated musical comedy film is Directed and Written by Ross Venokur and was released in Spain back in April this year, cost US$20M to make and has so far grossed US$5M although no US release date has yet been confirmed. Telling the unknown, previously top secret, highly confidential and to some most upsetting story of Snow White (Avril Lavigne), Cinderella (Ashley Tisdale) and Sleeping Beauty (G.E.M.) who discover that they are all engaged to the same Prince Charming (Wilmer Valderrama). Shock horror, how could this be? After a Fairy Godmother (John Cleese) spills a large amount of charm dust on Charming, the Prince, led by the Lenore (Demo Lovato), a woman who is incapable of love, must embark on an epic journey of adventure and discovery to find his one truest of all loves. Also starring the voice talents of Sia and Steve Aoki.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE : Tuesday 23rd October 2018.

'BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE' which I saw on Tuesday evening this week is a late 1960's neo-noir set American thriller that is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Drew Goddard. He also wrote multiple episodes of popular television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'Angel', 'Alias', 'Lost', created and wrote two episodes of 'Daredevil' and wrote for the big screen too including 'Cloverfield', 'World War Z', 'The Martian', and 'Cabin in the Woods' which was also his Directing debut. After this outing Goddard is Writing and Directing Marvel's 'X-Force'. Costing US$32M to make, the film has so far grossed US$22M since its release in the US and Australia two weeks ago and has received generally positive press, although some are stating that the two hours twenty minutes running time is a little overcooked.

And so the storyline here follows seven strangers who find themselves at the El Royale, a novelty hotel traversing the border of California and Nevada close to Lake Tahoe. As the film opens we are introduced to a man who enters a hotel room at the El Royale in 1960, rather nervously, pulling out a hand gun, peering out of the window before pulling the curtains closed. He then proceeds to move all the furniture, pull up the carpet, pull up the floorboards and deposits a hold-all bag under the floor before replacing the floorboards, replacing the carpet and replacing all the furniture to its original position. He then hears a knock at the door, opens it and is blasted dead with a shotgun. We then fast forward ten years later to 1970, and at the same El Royale Hotel checking in are Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo) and travelling vacuum cleaner salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm). Sometime shortly after, Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson) drives erratically up to the front entrance and brings her sports coupe to a grinding halt on the driveway. She saunters out, and also demands a room.

They wait patiently at the Reception ringing the bell awaiting for someone to appear but for ten minutes nobody does. The four exchange social niceties to pass the time of day with Sullivan announcing that the former Rat Pack destinational hotel is now a shadow of its former self as it had lost its gaming licence some years ago, since which time trade has gone rapidly downhill. The hotel's only employee Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman) appears and books them into the rooms, giving them the choice to stay in Nevada or California and officially welcomes them to the El Royale giving them the rules of the house . . . . a routine he would have repeated countless times over the years.

Upon checking into the honeymoon suite, at his very specific request, Sullivan (real name Dwight Broadbeck and in reality an FBI Agent masquerading as a travelling salesman) scans the room for bugs. Upon closer examination of the room he retrieves twenty or so hidden microphones of two different designs hidden in every nook and cranny - in light fittings, power sockets, in the phone, the TV set, the curtain rail and behind picture frames. Having turned the room upside down and exhausted his search he puts a call through to none other than J. Edgar Hoover who tells Broadbeck to remove all evidence of the FBI's operations, for reasons that are unclear.

He goes to the Reception to find it, surprise surprise, unattended. He rings the bell but that goes unanswered. He retrieves the master key to gain access to a locked door in his room, and ventures back of house in search of Miller, whom he finds passed out on bed with a needle hanging from his arm. Broadbeck then decides to investigate back of house and sees a passageway leading down a corridor with one-way mirrors looking into each guest room, and with a film camera set up for the far room at the end of the darkened corridor. Broadbeck spies Father Flynn ripping up the floorboards in his room, Darlene practising her singing into the mirror, and witnesses an apparent kidnapping in Summerspring's room.

Broadbeck puts a call into his office again to be instructed to disregard the alleged kidnapping and to sabotage all the vehicles to prevent the other guests from leaving. In the meantime, Flynn had overheard Darlene's singing from the next room and asks her to join him for dinner. She reluctantly agrees and the pair go to the lounge to retrieve some pie from a vending machine. Listening to music from the juke box, Flynn pours himself a stiff drink and request that Darlene join him for one. She observes Flynn spiking her drink and belts him over the head with a bottle sending him reeling unconscious to the floor. She makes a quick exit out of the hotel into the pouring rain. Miles discovers Flynn on the floor in the bar surrounded by broken glass and a big gash to his forehead. Seeking forgiveness for his sins from the Priest, he leads Father Flynn to the back of house corridor stating that the owners of the hotel who live interstate instruct Miles to film certain guests and send them the footage once every month. Miles has however, chosen to withhold one especially damning film reel of a recently deceased public figure, because the subject person in question was kind to him and if it was to go public would cause a huge scandal.

Acting directly against the orders of his superiors, Broadbeck takes the law into his own hands and after sabotaging the vehicles, bursts in on Emily's room where the alleged kidnapping is unfolding. It is revealed that Emily is in fact holding hostage her own sister Rose (Cailee Spaeny) to protect her from running back to cult leader Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth). Emily opens fire on Broadbeck who is standing directly in front of the rooms mirror, and with a shotgun kills him instantly. Miles who was stood behind that same mirror in the corridor looking in, accidentally gets a face full of buckshot from the same cartridge that killed Broadbeck.

Darlene has meanwhile tried to escape, having witnessed Emily's gunning down of Broadbeck through the opened door, and attempts to start her car but to no avail. Flynn catches up with her and asks to talk. They do so, with Darlene pointing a loaded pistol at Flynn. He comes clean that he is really a criminal named Donald 'Doc' O'Kelly, who was sentenced to ten years jail time after a robbery gone wrong.

Released only days ago on parole, O'Kelly has returned to the El Royale dressed as a Priest to retrieve the bag of swag that his brother Felix had stashed there before being gunned down in a double cross. However, owing to the onset of Alzheimer's, Flynn can't recall which room it was in. The reason he had attempted to drug Darlene was to gain access to her room, deducing that the cash had to be stashed there after he couldn't find it in his own room. Darlene agrees to allow him to search her room in exchange for half the cash.

Having discovered the secret corridor behind the shattered mirror in their room, Emily and Rose interrogate a bloodied Miles with half his face covered in buckshot wounds, about the clandestine surveillance operation. It transpires that Emily had forcibly removed her sister from the clutches of Billy Lee's cult, who by the way whilst being very smooth talking and charismatic was also a sadistic murderer wanted down Florida way for several killings. Rose though loves Billy Lee and has already alerted him to their whereabouts and he is en route. Just as Flynn and Darlene are about to leave with their haul of retrieved cash, Billy Lee arrives with his cultist henchmen and hold them both hostage together now with Emily and Miles too.

While terrorising and interrogating his four captives, Lee discovers the money and the film which he realises pretty quickly is much more valuable than the cash stash. In a sadistic game of roulette, Lee shoots and kills Emily, and threatens to kill Miles, Flynn and Darlene if they do not divulge from whence the money came and Flynn's real identity, sensing that he is not really a Priest. When an overhead lightning strike temporarily cuts the power, Flynn attacks Lee and the hotel lounge catches fire. During the ensuing chaos, Miles reveals that he served as an expert sniper in Vietnam with 123 confirmed skills to his name, but that he can kill no more, being racked with guilt over his killings. At Darlene insistence, given the dire circumstances they find themselves in, he picks up a gun and kills Lee and the other cultists. A distraught Rose stabs Miles in the stomach with a hunting life retrieved from Lee's lifeless body, but is then shot dead by O'Kelly. As Miles lays dying, Darlene urges O'Kelly (returning to Father Flynn mode) to forgive him of his guilt over his actions in Vietnam and at the El Royale over the years, so that he can enter the Kingdom of Heaven at peace at last. O'Kelly and Darlene retrieve the money and throw the canister of film and the hotel register with their names on it into the fire now quickly taking hold in the hotel lobby, before the pair flee, leaving in their wake a trail of death and destruction.

I enjoyed 'Bad Times at the El Royale' despite its elongated running time. Some scenes did labour the point just a little too much, and could easily have been trimmed back by ten or fifteen minutes or so, but that said the film moves along at a good pace, and there is plenty of action and unfolding events to maintain the interest. This film is a solid mash-up of Tarantino and Agatha Christie as it weaves back and forth in time over the course of that one fateful evening and tells the story from each players own point of view to build up the entire picture by the time the credits roll. Stylishly filmed with a faithful recreation of the era and sharp dialogue delivered by a strong ensemble cast who individually all deliver violent outbursts and nail their persona's. Especially noteworthy is Cynthia Erivo in her big screen debut as the soulful singer determined to make it on her own terms in very much a mans world, and Jeff Bridges playing an all too familiar if comfortable role as the weary and gruff ageing linchpin to the night unfolding the way it does. Chris Hemsworth's chiseled physique is also on show for all the world to see, and here he plays largely against type and clearly relishing in it. Certainly worth a look and the price of entry, albeit just a tad overcooked.

'Bad Times at the El Royale' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 25th October 2018.

The Adelaide Film Festival drew to a close last Sunday 21st October after eleven days of showcasing the finest cinematic content from Australia and internationally. Included in the formalities were ten films all in official competition vying for the University of South Australia Feature Fiction Award and a AU$20K cheque to the winning Director in recognition of their creative achievement. The awarding jury bestowed importance upon bold storytelling, creative risk-taking, idiosyncratic voices, and overall fabulous films in the award to the successful film. You can learn a whole lot more from the official Adelaide Film Festival website at : https://adelaidefilmfestival.org/

In competition this year, were :-
* 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
* 'Beautiful Boy' - Directed by Felix Van Groeningen.
* 'Burning' - Directed by Lee Chang-dong.
* 'Celeste' - Directed by Ben Hackworth, and an Australian production.
* 'Capharnaüm' - Directed by Nadine Labaki.
* 'Emu Runner' - Directed by Imogen Thomas, and an Australian production.
* 'Girl' - Directed by Lukas Dhont.
* 'Memories of My Body' - Directed by Garin Nugroho.
* 'ROMA' - Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

* 'The Seen and Unseen' - Directed by second time feature film maker Kamila Andini who trained in Melbourne and grew up in Indonesia, this Australian, Indonesian, Netherlands and Qatar co-production took out the University of South Australia Feature Fiction Award and pocketed a cheque for AU$20K.

This years award winning film tells the story of inseparable 10-year-old twins Tantri (Ni Kadek Thaly Titi Kasih) and Tantra (Ida Bagus Putu Radithya Mahijasena) living in Bali, who are as equally at home playing in the fields as they are stealing hens eggs from the local shrines. When, however, Tantra gets seriously sick and falls into a coma, and with her brother's life teetering on a knife edge, Tantri escapes into her night-time dreams where the two young siblings bid their fond farewells through costumed play, song, dance and shadow puppetry.

This week we have six new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with a slasher horror offering that is the eleventh in the franchise, but ignores the events of the previous nine films and establishes a timeline that is set directly forty years after the events of the first film. Featuring that same Actress portraying that same character ready and waiting for the return of the masked serial killing machine, but is she smart, quick and strong enough to thwart the evil murdering menace? Sticking with the Halloween theme, we have a lauded British horror offering that draws its inspiration from the '60's and '70's era and is a collection of three separate chilling and sinister stories that all link back to one man. We then change pace completely with a story of a father and son relationship that is well & truly tested by the teenage sons drug addiction, the the lengths that the father will go to in order to save his son. Then we have an Aussie dark comedy about an English teacher about to sign his first book, but rather than bask in the celebration, his world may just come crumbling down around him for a whole raft of reasons. We then move a story of a teenage lad who forges an unlikely relationship with an out to pasture has been race horse and their voyage of discovery and adventure across the vast American landscape together, before concluding the week with an '80's set crime drama featuring Jamaican crims on the lam in London in this offering from an acclaimed Actor who is here Directing his first feature film.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'HALLOWEEN' (Rated MA15+) - and here we have the eagerly anticipated, much hyped and long awaited 'recalibration' of the famed and iconic slasher horror franchise that introduced an unsuspecting world to maniacal killer Michael Myers and teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) way back in 1978. That film, aptly titled 'Halloween' was Written, Directed and Scored by the legendary John Carpenter, cost a paltry US$325K to make and grossed worldwide US$70M, and defined the genre that has been imitated ever since. That 1978 film saw an equally standup sequel in 1981 titled 'Halloween II', but after that instalment the franchise was on the skids. There have been a succession of films ever since - eight others in fact, with the latter two being remakes in 2007 and 2009 titled again 'Halloween' and 'Halloween II' with both of the instalments being Directed by Rob Zombie that collectively grossed US$120M off the back of a combined budget of US$30M whilst remaining reasonably true to the original source films. In between time Jamie Lee Curtis reprised her role as a more mature Laurie Strode in 1998's 'Halloween H2O : 20 Years Later' and again in 2002 in 'Halloween : Resurrection'.

And so to this 2018 offering as Directed and Co-Written by David Gordon Green which is the eleventh film in the franchise and a direct sequel to the the original 1978 film, disregarding completely the sequels and the continuity that have come in between time. Set forty years after the events of the first film, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis playing the character now for the fifth time), has been preparing all this time over the ensuing years for the return of Michael Myers (Nick Castle from the original film and James Jude Courtney) in what she believes will be her final confrontation with the masked and relentless serial killer when he returns to Haddonfield, Illinois, to dispense with her once and for all for escaping his killing spree on Halloween night back in 1978. But this time, she is better prepared. Also starring Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and Will Patton. The film was also scored once again by John Carpenter, cost US$10M to make through Blumhouse Productions, has received generally positive press, was released Stateside last week and has so far taken US$96M at the Box Office.

'GHOST STORIES' (Rated M) - also out just in time for Halloween is this British horror anthology Written and Directed by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson and is based on their 2010 Westend stage play that ran through until 2015 before taking the production to Australia where it ran countrywide for a year. The film Premiered at the London Film Festival in October 2017, went on general release in the UK in early April, has so far taken US$4M and has garnered generally positive Reviews. Here Professor Phillip Goodman (played by Co-Director and Co-Writer Andy Nyman) devotes his life to exposing phony psychics and fraudulent supernatural and other worldly goings on in his popular television show. His scepticism however, soon is tested when he gets word of three chilling and inexplicable cases featuring disturbing visions in an abandoned asylum, a car accident deep in a forest and the spirit of an unborn child. Even scarier though is the fact that each of the macabre stories seems to have a sinister connection to the Professor's own life. Described more as a horror of British yesteryear in keeping with Hammer and Amicus rather than the slasher and body horror offerings of the present day, the film also stars Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse and Alex Lawther.

'BEAUTIFUL BOY' (Rated MA15+) - this American biographical drama film is Co-Written for the Screen and Directed by Belgian film maker Felix Van Groeningen in his English language debut. Based on the memoirs 'Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction' by David Sheff released in 2008, and 'Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines' by Nic Sheff the film was made for US$25M, Premiered at TIFF last month, went on release in the US on 12th October and has received generally positive Press. Telling the real life story of teenager Nicolas Sheff (Timothee Chalamet) who seems to want for nothing in his life - he's a good student attaining solid grades at school, he's the Editor of the school newspaper, an aspiring actor, a keen artist and a promising athlete. However, when Nic's addiction to meth threatens to destroy him, his desperate father David Sheff (Steve Carell) will resort to whatever means he can to save his son, and his family. Also starring Amy Ryan, Maura Tierney, Timothy Hutton and LisaGay Hamilton.

'BOOK WEEK' (Rated CTC) - here we have an Australian dark comedy drama filmed in the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney, and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Heath Davis in only his second feature length film, following 2016's 'Broke'. When it looks like his novel is going to be published after his sixth attempt, High School English teacher Nicholas Cutler (Alan Dukes) thinks his life is finally about to turn the corner. But what is meant to be the best week of his life quickly spirals out of control and turns into the week form Hell. A girlfriend’s ultimatum, a student in trouble with the Police, a very sick brother-in-law and the prospect of living a life of unfulfilled dreams, force Mr. Cutler to re-examine just what’s most important in his life. Also starring Nicholas Hope, Steve Bastoni, Steve Le Marquand and Susan Prior.

'LEAN ON PETE' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Written for the Screen and Directed by Andrew Haigh who previous offering was 2015's highly acclaimed '45 Years'. The film screened in main competition at the Venice International Film Festival back in September 2017, was released in the US in early April this year, the UK in early May, was made for US$8M and has so far grossed US$2.5M and has generated generally favourable Reviews. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by American author Willy Vlautin, the story here surrounds Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) a fifteen year old lad living with his single father Ray Thompson (Travis Fimmel), who finds casual work caring for an ageing and ailing racehorse named 'Lean On Pete'. When his father dies, likely pushing him into foster care, and he learns that Pete is bound for the slaughter house, Charley and the racehorse begin a journey of adventures and challenges across the new American frontier in search of a long lost aunt, and a new place to call home. Also starring Steve Buscemi, Steve Zahn and Chloe Sevigny.

'YARDIE' (Rated MA15+) - this British crime drama offering is based on the 1992 highly acclaimed novel of the same name by Victor Headley, and is Directed in his feature film debut by renowned Actor, Producer, Musician and DJ Idris Elba. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, and went on release in the UK in late August. Now it gets a limited released in Australia having garnered generally mixed or average Review along the way so far. Reeling from his brother’s death in a shooting when he was a child in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1970's Dennis Campbell, aka 'D' (Aml Ameen), is hired by Jamaican crimelord and reggae producer King Fox (Sheldon Shepherd) ten years later to deliver a package of cocaine to British gangster Rico (Stephen Graham) who resides in the London suburb of Hackney. But when Dennis finds out that the man who killed his brother all those years ago is also living in England, he is torn between revenge against the murderer, and the duty he has sworn to do.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

FIRST MAN : Tuesday 16th October 2018.

'FIRST MAN' which I saw at my local multiplex this week, is an American biographical drama film based on the 2005 book by James R. Hansen titled 'First Man : The Life of Neil A. Armstrong' and is Directed and Co-Produced by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle of 'Whiplash' and 'La La Land' fame. Made for US$65M the film saw its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival back in August, and was subsequently screened at the Telluride Film Festival and then the Toronto International Film Festival in early September. The film went on general release in the US last week too having received generally widespread critical praise for Chazelle's Direction, the performances of Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy especially, the score and the cinematography. Box Office receipts so far amount to US$30M.

The film charts the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon by the time the clock ticks over into 1970, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. Launching (literally) in 1961, we see Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) struggling at the controls as a NASA test pilot of an X-15 experimental hypersonic rocket powered aircraft that was able to reach the edge of outer space, when after a moment of weightlessness the plane inadvertently bounces off the atmosphere. Even though he successfully manages to navigate the plane to a safe landing somewhere in the Mojave Desert, his superiors air their concerns about his recent spate of mishaps, and therefore choose to ground him. Meanwhile, his young daughter Karen, has a brain tumour, and is receiving cutting edge treatment. But despite this, Armstrong is distracted and pours over books, keeps copious notes on her symptoms, treatment and searches out some possible cure. But, before long Karen passes, and as any father would be, Armstrong is gutted.

Shortly afterwards Armstrong applies for Project Gemini (NASA's second human spaceflight programme) and is accepted, requiring Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy) and son Rick (Luke Winters) to move to Houston, together with a bunch of other astronauts chosen to take part in the Gemini Programme. Here he befriends Elliot See (Patrick Fugit) and Ed White (Jason Clarke) whilst under the watchful eye of Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler) - NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office. Up to this point, them pesky Russians have eclipsed Uncle Sam in every aspect of the '60's Space Race, as so Slayton states in no uncertain terms the importance of Project Gemini as a precursor to the Apollo missions and the ultimate aim of putting a man on the moon by the close of the decade. Armstrong and the chosen handful of hopefuls are put through a rigorous training regime that tests them to the very limits of their endurance . . . and beyond.

Meanwhile, Janet gives birth to another son, Mark (Connor Blodgett). After the Ruskies notch up another first by performing an EVA (ExtraVehicular Activity - a spacewalk performed outside a craft orbiting the Earth), Armstrong is advised by Slayton that he has been chosen to be the Commander of Gemini 8 which would see the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit, with David Scott (Christoper Abbott) as his pilot. Armstrong and Scott successfully launch on Gemini 8 and dock as planned with the Agena Target Vehicle in space. After celebrating their success, things go rapidly pair shaped as the docked pairing of space craft begins to spin uncontrollably. Armstrong is able to successfully undock the two craft, but Gemini continues to spin at an ever increasing rate. After almost blacking out, Armstrong is able to bring the rapidly rotating craft under control and safely aborts the mission, saving their lives in the process. Janet, however, has had the privilege of listening in to their radio transmission is none too impressed with her husbands near death experience and promptly berates Slayton saying that they are all 'just a bunch of boys playing with balsa wood models . . .  you don't have anything under control'.

In due course Ed White announces that he has been selected for the Apollo 1 Mission together with Gus Grissom (Shea Whigham) and Roger Chaffee (Cory Michael Smith). During a launch simulation test on Apollo 1 on 27th January 1967, a fire inside the cabin and the resultant explosion takes the lives of White, Grissom and Chaffee. Armstrong meanwhile is representing NASA at a White House function, when he is interrupted by an urgent phone call from Slayton, advising him of this tragedy. A year or so later Armstrong is testing a Lunar Landing Research Vehicle and is nearly killed in the process, ejecting over a field and being dragged along the ground by his parachute, while the test vehicle crashes to the ground in a ball of flame.

Shortly afterwards Armstrong is advised by Slayton that he has been chosen to command the Apollo 11 Mission with a view to this culminating in a Moon landing. His crew will be Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) and Michael Collins (Lukas Haas). Collins will pilot the command module Columbia alone in orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin are on the lunar surface. Shortly after, the three astronauts hold a Press Conference where Armstrong is particularly blunt and succinct in his answers to the gathered world press, leaving Aldrin to interject with more broader and lighthearted answers.

The night before the launch while Armstrong is needlessly busying himself with packing, Janet confronts him about the strong possibility that he won't survive the Mission, and steadfastly demands that he explains the risks to both Rick and Mark - his young sons. Armstrong is evasive and is clearly uncomfortable with such a confronting and potentially emotional conversation with his two boys, let alone his wife. After a brief conversation around the dinner table before the boys bedtime, Armstrong bids his boys farewell and kisses his wife goodbye, and departs for the Moon.

The day arrives, and Apollo 11 successfully launches, and within four days of flight touches down on the surface of the Moon on 20th July 1969. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours after landing on 21st July, with those immortal words 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind', with Aldrin joining him some twenty minutes later. After exploring the surface for some time, Armstrong walks over to a small crater and gently drops into it a bracelet that was his daughter's - forever leaving a memento to her memory on the surface of that far away place. Having spent the best part of whole day collecting samples, taking photographs, observing the Moon's surface, and going walkabout, the pair take off to rejoin Collins aboard the Columbia and head back to Earth landing in the North Pacific Ocean on the afternoon of 24th July 1969. The crew are placed in quarantine for a month. Janet visits Armstrong and through the glass panels of his temporary isolation, the pair share a quiet moment of contemplation, touching hands through the plate glass.

The film also stars Ciaran Hinds as Robert R. Gilruth - the first Director of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Centre and Pablo Schreiber as Jim Lovell, the backup Commander on Armstrong's Apollo 11 Mission.

Here, continuing with his run of Academy Award success, Damien Chazelle has crafted a nuanced film that will be surely worthy of some Oscar consideration come nomination season. Rather than the all too common chest beating and hero worship associated with such space age films, here 'First Man' paints a picture of a an everyday ordinary man pushed to extraordinary lengths in his quiet determination to be the first man on the Moon. In equal measure we see the emotion, the joy and the tragedy of Armstrong's every day family life coupled with the errors, flaws, accidents and incidents and the all too many deaths experienced by NASA and Armstrong's fellow astronaut colleagues during the course of those Gemini and Apollo Missions. Gosling gives a stoic and reserved performance as both the troubled and completely focused on his day job at the expense of his family Armstrong; while Foy more than ably supports as the no bullshit tell it as it is supportive, caring and understanding (to a point) wife. Chazelle's attention to detail throughout the film cannot be faulted, and his recreation of the era, the inner workings of NASA, and the failures and successes of the technology of the time really make this film. Concentrating on the '60's era only and the events leading up to the first Moon landing was Chazelle's choice and who can argue with that, but perhaps an insight into the reserved man post that heroic journey to go boldly where no man has gone before would have rounded out the film more completely. Nonetheless, certainly worth the price of your ticket, and you should see this on the big screen for sure.

'First Man' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-